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Summary
Summary
On the occasion of his seventieth birthday, the renowned scholar Marcus J. Borg shares how he formed his bedrock religious beliefs, contending that Christians in America are at their best when they focus on hope and transformation and so shows how we can return to what really matters most. The result is a manifesto for all progressive Christians who seek the best path for following Jesus today.
With each chapter embodying a distinct conviction, Borg writes provocatively and compellingly on the beliefs that can deeply ground us and guide us, such as: God is real and a mystery; salvation is more about this life than an afterlife; the Bible can be true without being literally true; Jesus's death on the cross matters--but not because he paid for our sins; God is passionate about justice and the po∨ and to love God is to love like God.
Borg calls all American Christians to reject divisiveness and exclusivity and create communities that celebrate joy, possibility, and renewal. Throughout, he reflects on what matters most, bringing to earth the kingdom of God Jesus talked about and transforming our relationships with one another. Rich in wisdom and insight, Convictions is sure to become a classic of contemporary Christianity.
Author Notes
Marcus J. Borg was born on March 11, 1942 in Minnesota. He majored in philosophy and political science at Concordia College. He did graduate work at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and at Oxford University. He taught at various Midwest universities before joining the faculty at Oregon State University in 1979. He taught religion there until his retirement in 2007.
During his lifetime, he wrote or co-wrote 21 books including Jesus: A New Vision, The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions with N. T. Wright, and Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most. He died after a prolonged illness on January 21, 2015 at the age of 72.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Because "context matters," religion scholar Borg (The Heart of Christianity) reviews the itinerary of his spiritual journey toward his life's convictions. An expert on the historical Jesus who has written 14 books (including a fine novel), Borg bases his biblical exegeses in scripture, reason and tradition; another three-legged stool-memories, conversations, and convictions-shapes this forthright book. He explores how he came to his opinions, from boy to man to elder of 70, beginning with his birth in Minnesota to conservative, Republican, Lutheran parents in a mixed marriage (his mother was descended from Norwegians; his father, Swedes). He became a scholar, a liberal Episcopalian in Oregon, the husband of a priest. He intertwines his considerable knowledge of the Bible and of Christianity with exploration of his life at lectern and in pulpit. He writes honestly and clearly, defining as he goes, always educating. He does not shy from laying out controversies among contemporary Christians, especially progressives v. conservatives, and he analyzes Jesus, the Bible, and the Cross. He closes with wonder: "Imagine that Christianity is about loving God." (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Borg gracefully twines together the recent history of Christianity in the U.S. with his own autobiography, demonstrating the changing relationships between faith and secular values that have developed across the past 75 years. In an almost prescient response to N.T. Wright's analysis of American theology in Surprised by Scripture (2014), Borg makes a concise and compelling argument for variations in American Christian religious experience and expression that addresses changes in how we understand the states of conversion, conserving, and applying biblical understanding to our daily lives. Rather than addressing readers to convince or argue for theological orthodoxy or personal lack of orthodoxy Borg offers informed insight on culture's effects on what faith means at a personal level, how specific biblical persons and stories gain meaning across a lifespan, and how the religious world of mid-twentieth-century America, in contrast with our current context, was, in some real ways, culturally different enough to influence alternative spiritual biographic development in individual Christians. An excellent introduction for general readers who stand outside the Christian tradition as well as those interested in considering how faith changes as they mature.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2010 Booklist
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. xi |
| 1 Context Matters | p. 1 |
| 2 Faith Is a Journey | p. 19 |
| 3 God Is Real and Is a Mystery | p. 35 |
| 4 Salvation Is More About This Life than an Afterlife | p. 53 |
| 5 Jesus Is the Norm of the Bible | p. 77 |
| 6 The Bible Can Be True Without Being Literally True | p. 103 |
| 7 Jesus's Death on the Cross Matters-But Not Because He Paid for Our Sins | p. 131 |
| 8 The Bible Is Political | p. 147 |
| 9 God Is Passionate About Justice and the Poor | p. 169 |
| 10 Christians Are Called to Peace and Nonviolence | p. 189 |
| 11 To Love God Is to Love Like God | p. 209 |
| Notes | p. 233 |
| Scripture Index | p. 239 |
